It was revealed earlier this month that Joss Whedon had signed an exclusive deal with Marvel Studios to, among other things, help develop a new live action series for Marvel Television at ABC. Today, Deadline has revealed that, now greenlit by ABC, the series will be titled "S.H.I.E.L.D." and will focus on the top secret defense organization featured throughout the Marvel cinematic universe.

Whedon will write the pilot alongside his brother, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen (who previously worked with Whedon on "Dollhouse" and "Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"). All three will also join Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb as executive producers. The site notes that Whedon may also direct the pilot, but that nothing is confirmed at this time.

It remains to be seen which, if any, actors and/or characters from the Marvel Studios films are planned to appear on the show, though it's very likely that "S.H.I.E.L.D" will have direct ties to future Marvel Studios cinematic entries, including the Whedon scripted and directed Marvel's The Avengers 2, set for release on May 1, 2015.

As reported yesterday, ABC has picked up Joss Whedon's "S.H.I.E.L.D." to the pilot stage as a part of his exclusive deal with Marvel Studios. It wasn't long after this was reported that we all started to wonder where it would fit into the larger scheme of the Marvel films.

Variety now has some quotes from Whedon about the project who said not to call it a 'spinoff.' Whedon also said the series will be 'autonomous' to The Avengers sequel that he is writing and directing.

Whedon will write the pilot alongside his brother, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen (who previously worked with Whedon on "Dollhouse" and "Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"). All three will also join Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb as executive producers. It's rumored that Whedon may also direct the pilot, but that nothing is confirmed at this time.

So how involved will Whedon be? Variety's Cynthia Littleton tweeted that "[Joss] reserves right to pepper in bits here and there. His bro Jed and Maurissa T. will be showrunners, he'll just show up every now and then 'and take credit for everything.'"

With HIMYM coming to a end after this season, I wonder if they can get Cobie Smulders to make a cameo or be a show regular? Very optimistic thanks to it being on ABC. If it were going to be on Fox we'd be having a different conversation

Joss Whedon has a very full plate at the moment, and that plate is full of Marvel goodies. In an interview with Vulture, he talked about his experience with them and why he signed the exclusive three year deal and the origins of his recently announced S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show.

When asked about his contract, which covers The Avengers 2, the S.H.I.E.L.D. show, and creative input on the other films, he said, "I loved the idea of being a consigliere. Every writer loves the idea of being able to go in and fix a problem and then leave without obligation. It's fun! I also love these characters and the Marvel universe, and I grew up reading the books, and I've been going back and reading the old books and realizing that they shaped my storytelling way more than I give them credit for. Now I'm starting up a TV show, which is something I really wanted to do, but I thought it wasn't going to be a part of my life for the next several years. It's like a tapas menus of projects that excite me, in addition to the Avengers sequel, which I'm excited for because I'm incredibly excited about the next story that I'm going to tell. For me, it's a huge win.

"So, it's going to be an insane few years, but I feel ready for that. It's an unholy amount of productivity, but as long as I give it all I can, it's a good thing. What's great is that the deal with Marvel is nonspecific, so I will give all I can, but the moment I can't, I just walk away. The moment I say, 'You know, I'd like to help more on this project, but I need this time for The Avengers,' there's no obligation."

And when asked how he felt about working on a TV show with a huge promotional push, differing from his other shows, he laughed and said, "You know, I can't guarantee that any of that will happen! But so far, it feels just fine. The important thing to me is that we know what the show is. We love what it is. It came together very organically, so when we went in to pitch [to Marvel], it wasn't like, We're trying to find this because you want a TV show, it was, Check this out. And that's a good way to walk in a room.

"Good support is wonderful, but it's not a hill of beans, because they may give us all this support and then decide, 'Eh. Yeah, it's Friday.' They might give us all the support and then not do that, but then audiences might go, 'Yeahhh … no.' You just can't be sure. What I do know is that it's the show it should be, and we've got some really dope notions. It's going to work very well for people who either love the Marvel universe or for people who've never dipped a toe in the Marvel universe."

The Avengers 2 has been set for May 1, 2015 and will be preceded by Iron Man 3 on May 3, 2013, Thor: The Dark World on November 8, 2013, Captain America: The Winter Soldier on April 4, 2014 and Guardians of the Galaxy on August 1, 2014.

Continuing his big screen role of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Jasper Sitwell from both Thor and Marvel's The Avengers, Maximiliano Hernández takes a leading role in the "Marvel One-Shot" short film "Item 47," set to be included as a bonus feature on the latter film's DVD and Blu-ray release.

SuperHeroHype caught up with the actor on the red carpet for Finding Nemo 3D to ask whether or not his close connection to the Marvel cinematic universe guarantees him a role on the Joss Whedon-produced "S.H.I.E.L.D." television series.

"I can't admit to anything right now," Hernández smiled. "The truth of the matter is that everything is in flux and so much of it is up in the air. Honestly, it's all dependent on Joss. Joss has really taken this as his baby. We'll see. In the next couple of months, I'm sure I'll be able to say something."

In the meantime, Hernández has been working on a pilot for a period FX drama called "The Americans."

"That's with Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys," he explained. "It takes place in the early 80's in suburban DC. Keri and Matthew are Russian spies embedded in America in 1981, right after Reagan's election. I play a counterintelligence officer myself along with Noah Emmerich. We're partners and it's our job to hunt them down… They live in the states and they have kids and the kids have no idea what their parents are. As far as they know, they're Americans. You have this fight - not so much a physical fight - between Matthew who's starting to turn to the American sensibility and Keri who is sort of steadfast and is saying, 'No. These people here are weak. There's something about them I don't like." What happens is that, over the time they're together, they start growing apart, but they have to stick together. They're Russian spies and are out here on their own."

With "The Americans" going to series, does that mean that Hernández won't be free to shoot "S.H.I.E.L.D."?

"Well, you know what?" he said with a grin. "I live in a world where both things can happen. And I'm sure you'll see me very soon in something else."

Catch Maximiliano Hernández in "Item 47" and Marvel's The Avengers on DVD and Blu-ray September 25th.

The good news is that Joss Whedon and company are 'very far' into creating the framework for the S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show that was announced just a few weeks ago, but the bad news is that it will feature an all-new cast of characters. Whedon confirmed this detail in an interview with MTV.

"It's new characters. It needs to be its own thing," said Whedon. "It needs to be adjacent [to the movies] but you don't want to do a show where you're constantly going, 'Iron Man just left, but he was totally here a minute ago.' You want them to do their own thing."

Whedon also clarified what exactly 'their thing' is, "Well, what does S.H.I.E.L.D. have that the other superheroes don't? And that, to me, is that they're not superheroes. But they live in that universe. Even though they're a big organization, that [lack of powers] makes them underdogs, and that's interesting to me."

The S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series is now in the pilot stage at ABC. Whedon will write the pilot alongside his brother, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen (who previously worked with Whedon on "Dollhouse" and "Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"). All three will also join Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb as executive producers.

Announced earlier this year, Joss Whedon is overseeing "S.H.I.E.L.D.", Marvel Studios' first television series set in their cinematic universe. Today, TV Line has gotten their hands on a list of characters that are alleged to be at the forefront of the ABC series, now casting. Their list reads as follows:

SKYE: This late-20s woman sounds like a dream: fun, smart, caring and confident – with an ability to get the upper hand by using her wit and charm.

AGENT GRANT WARD: Quite the physical specimen and “cool under fire,” he sometimes botches interpersonal relations. He’s a quiet one with a bit of a temper, but he’s the kind of guy that grows on you.

AGENT ALTHEA RICE: Also known as “The Calvary,” this hard-core soldier has crazy skills when it comes to weapons and being a pilot. But her experiences have left her very quiet and a little damaged.

AGENT LEO FITZ and AGENT JEMMA SIMMONS: These two came through training together and still choose to spend most of their time in each other’s company. Their sibling-like relationship is reinforced by their shared nerd tendencies – she deals with biology and chemistry, he’s a whiz at the technical side of weaponry.

Although none of the roles appear to be previously-established comic book characters, it should be noted that on the commentary track to his The Cabin in the Woods, Whedon refers to using fake sides to audition talent. Knowing the secrecy of Marvel, there's a definite possibility that "S.H.I.E.L.D." could be employing a similar tactic.

It also remains to be seen which, if any, actors and/or characters from the feature films are planned to appear on the show. It's very likely that "S.H.I.E.L.D." will have direct ties to future Marvel Studios cinematic entries, including the Whedon-scripted and directed Marvel's The Avengers 2, set for release on May 1, 2015.

Joss Whedon’s upcoming Avengers spin-off TV series focuses on the Marvel universe’s dominant superspy operation S.H.I.E.L.D. Appropriately, the show has been shrouded in secrecy, barring the occasional promise from Whedon that the show would run alongside Marvel’s cinematic universe but with less of a superhero focus. But earlier today at New York Comic-Con, Marvel officially announced that a member of the Avengers cast would be making an appearance on the show…despite the fact that, well, the character didn’t seem to have much of a future after Avengers. Clark Gregg’s Agent Phil Coulson appeared to die in the movie — oh, spoiler alert, blah blah, it’s the third highest-grossing movie ever — but rumors have persisted that Coulson would reappear in some form.

The Marvel TV panel at NYCC made the news official. Gregg appeared onstage, nominally to talk about his role on the animated series Ultimate Spider-Man. But then attendees were treated to a video showing Whedon and Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, proclaiming that Coulson would return in the series (currently titled Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D.) According to Comic Book Resources, Whedon and Feige made it clear that Coulson wouldn’t just be appearing in some kind of flashback/Obi-Wan role: Feige said, “There was never going to be a S.H.I.E.L.D.‘ show without Agent Phil Coulson!” while Whedon added “He’s headlining the S.H.I.E.L.D. show and always was.”

News about Coulson’s return retroactively lessens the impact of the closing act of Avengers — and it also confirms that characters stay dead in Marvel’s onscreen universe about as often as in the comic book universe. (Read: Never.) However, speaking as a longtime Phil Coulson fan, it’s exciting to hear that Gregg will be participating in the S.H.I.E.L.D. project, if only because he’s the rare actor involved in the Marvelverse who genuinely seems to dig comic books. (Not only that: He digs Jim Starlin. Swoon!)

Heh. I scooped SDComics.

_________________Resisting someone who is choking to you death is called self-defense.

Deadline is reporting that ER veteran Ming-Na Wen has joined the pilot for the upcoming TV series "Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D." Wen will play Agent Melinda May who is described as "soulful and slightly damaged by her combat experiences, Melinda is an ace pilot, a weapons expert and a soldier who can — and has — gone beyond the call of duty." This character was named Althea Rice in the list of alleged characters for the series, where her nickname was 'The Calvary'.

Wen joins actor Clark Gregg who will be reprising his role as Agent Phil Coulson in the upcoming TV series.

Joss Whedon will direct the pilot and co-write it with his brother Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen.

It was announced in August that Joss Whedon would be shepherding a television series for Marvel's Cinematic Universe in the form of Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. at ABC. Since it was included in his exclusive deal with Marvel Studios, we knew it would be before production began on Marvel's The Avengers 2 and it's coming much sooner than that. Marc Graser of Variety tweeted that the pilot for the series will begin filming in January. Could they be hoping to have it picked up for fall of 2013?

Two weeks ago saw the announcement that actress Ming-Na Wen has been added to the cast and would be playing Agent Melinda May. She joined Clark Gregg, who will be reprising his role as Agent Phil Coulson in the series.

Joss Whedon will direct the pilot and co-write it with his brother Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen.

Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. will be executive produced by the Whedons, Maurissa Tancharoen, Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb.

THR is reporting that actors Iain De Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge have been added to Joss Whedon's pilot for Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. Henstridge will play Agent Gemma Simmons and De Caestecker wil portray Agent Leo Fitz. The names and descriptions of these characters were released at the beginning of October, they're described as follows:

These two came through training together and still choose to spend most of their time in each other’s company. Their sibling-like relationship is reinforced by their shared nerd tendencies – she deals with biology and chemistry, he’s a whiz at the technical side of weaponry.

The pair join actress Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May and Clark Gregg, who will reprise his role as Agent Phil Coulson.

Joss Whedon will direct the pilot and co-write it with his brother Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen. It's expected to begin shooting in January.

Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. will be executive produced by the Whedons, Maurissa Tancharoen, Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb.

Marvel Studios' upcoming "S.H.I.E.L.D." television series has landed another star. TVLine is reporting that Brett Dalton (Killing Lincoln) has joined the cast as Agent Grant Ward.

Among the character names revealed last month, the Ward role is officially described as follows:

Quite the physical specimen and “cool under fire,” he sometimes botches interpersonal relations. He’s a quiet one with a bit of a temper, but he’s the kind of guy that grows on you.

Dalton joins Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, Ming-Na Wen, and Clark Gregg for the pilot, which will be directed by Joss Whedon. Co-written by Whedon and his brother, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, the show is expected to begin shooting in January.

"S.H.I.E.L.D." will be executive produced by the Whedons, Maurissa Tancharoen, Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb.